Fork for handling cans.



W. L. FRIDAY.

FORK FOR HANDLING CANS. APPLICATION FILED use. 18. was.

Patentd Feb. 18, 1919.

INVENTOR BY //JZ/)7 ATTORNEYS WILBUR L. FRIDAY, OF IRON RIDGE, WISCONSIN.

FORK FOR HANDLING CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed December 18, 1918. Serial No. 267,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILBUR L. FRIDAY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Iron Ridge, in the county of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forks for Handling Cans; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for handling batches of cans or like articles.

It is primarily the object of my invention to provide a handling device having a plurality of tine-like members adapted to engage a row of cans in such manner that the row of cans may be most readily manipulated for removing them from the pile in which they are placed and depositing them on a conveyer or other support, and it is more particularly my object to provide a device of this character having members adapted to snugly engage within the cans to prevent looseness thereof with respect to the device, said members being most readily removable from the cans when they are deposited.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more particularly described and defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken transversely through the head of my device and showing one of the can holding members in elevation, with a can mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device, the end portions being broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, my improved device comprises a head bar 5, having a handle 6 projecting centrally therefrom in the manner of a fork handle, and carrying a plurality of tine-like members A, each adapted to snugly engage within a can 0 as shown in Fig. 1, said members being spaced apart distances equal to the diameters of the cans to be engaged whereby each member A may engage in one of a row of cans of the usual piles in which said cans are stored.

Each of the tine-like members A formed in the present instance of a cast loop having an attaching ear 7 on one end which is secured to the head bar 5. From this car 7 one portion of the loop extends downwardly over the front face of the head bar at 8 and is then directed forwardly at 9 at an obtuse angle and then curved upwardly at 10 and extended to a point spaced from the head bar a distance slightly greater than the length of a can, merging at this point with a front end portion 11 which is connected with a downwardly bowed top portion 12- having its inner end flattened at 13 and connected with a portion 14 extending clownwardly to the ear 7.

While I have shown and described each tine-like member as comprising a casting, it is obvious that they may be formed in any manner procuring the aforedescribed configuration, the various described portions of the casting forming a member which is ex tended forwardly from the head and then inclined upwardly and taperingly reduced, and which presents a concave upper surface and a convex lower surface, the perpendicular distance between the lowest point of the convex lower surface and the plane of the ends of the concave upper surface being equal to the diameter of a can which the device is adapted to engage whereby to afford a snug three-point engagement of the tine-like members of the device in a row of cans, obviously assuming a positive manipulation of the cans, which is particularly desirable in view of the nature of certain cans having bead portions on their ends which are liable to become engaged when the cans are piled in rows.

It is further noted that the particular shape of the tine-like engaging members facilitates detachment of the device from a row of cans when they have been placed within the confines of angle iron conveyer track bars I) as shown in Fig. 1, it being noted that a slight outward shifting movement of the device serves to clear the cans from the flattened upper end portions 13 of the tine-like members whereupon said members may be. rocked and simultaneously withdrawn, the lower concave portions of the members forming shoes riding over the adjacent angle iron track portions.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a head bar, a handle extending therefrom, and a plurality of tine-like members carried by the head bar with their outer portions inclined upwardly and taperingly reduced, said members being adapted to snugly fit Within a row of cans.

2. A device of the class described comprising a head bar, a handle extending therefrom and a plurality of members extending from the head bar, said members having concave upper surfaces and convex lower surfaces and adapted to snugly engage in a row of cans, the perpendicular distance between the lower portion of the lower surface of each member and the plane of the end portions of the upper surface of each member being substantially equal to the diameter 15 WILBUR L. FRIDAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

